Today, Halstead Bead, Inc. announced the winner of its second annual national business grant competition for bridge jewelry designers: Belle Brooke Designs of Los Angeles, CA.
Belle Brooke Barer, principal designer and entrepreneur, will receive $6,000 in cash and merchandise as part of the grant prize package. She intends to use these funds to invest in a
fashion marketing campaign including both print and web materials. "I think that is going to be a big help for me in taking the next step and really expanding my business," said an
exuberant Barer. Her work is already sold in stores around the country as well as through several online retailers.
Barer creates jewelry that is inspired by the natural symmetry inherent in the organic world. Her primary material is sterling silver, though she also designs some pieces in gold. The
style is an artistic rendering of the concept of cells and their multitudinous manifestations. Her work is unmistakably original and features circular patterns compressed within shaped
frames and offset by natural gemstones. You can see her current Metropolis and Night Sky collections at bellebrooke.net (http://www.halsteadbead.com/grant). The deadline for next year's
competition will be in June 2008. Updated application materials will be available online this fall. Last year's winner was Ananda Khalsa Jewelry of Providence, RI.
Halstead Bead, Inc. is an importer and wholesale distributor of jewelry supplies to the trade.